Countries gather for national launch of FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme

Events in Ankara today and tomorrow kick off the second phase of a successful partnership between Turkey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). High-level participation from numerous countries reflects the partnership’s international significance.

In his opening remarks at today’s ceremony, FAO Assistant Director-General for Europe and Central Asia Vladimir Rakhmanin thanked the Government of Turkey for its steadfast support of FAO’s work for food security and sustainable agricultural development in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

“The partnership between FAO and Turkey has become an excellent model – one where Turkish expertise meets with the countries’ own experience and development ambitions,” Rakhmanin said. “As FAO, we are proud to provide our expertise and technical support to this invaluable intra-regional cooperation.”

The first part of the launch was concluded with the statement of Turkey’s newly appointed Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Ahmet Esref Fakibaba.

The FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme aims at sharing technical experience and know-how on agriculture, food security and rural development. Government officials, experts, practitioners and national institutions are key partners in addressing country and subregional priorities, identifying critical gaps in the food and agriculture sector, and addressing cross-cutting issues. Capacity development, facilitating partnerships among different institutions, and enhancing collaboration among countries are the programme’s principal outcomes.

The Programme was established as a result of the FAO Host Country Agreement with Turkey, signed in 2006 with the Government of Turkey contributing US$ 10 million for 28 projects over a five-year period. In 2014, Turkey and FAO began a second phase of partnership with a Supplemental Agreement under which Turkey committed to contributing an additional US$ 20 million. Half of this amount is allocated for food and agriculture, half for forestry, bringing Turkey’s total contribution to USD 30 million.

A photo exhibition showcasing achievements of the Partnership Programme was inaugurated by Rakhmanin and Fakibaba at the Cer Modern Art Center, where the exhibition will remain in place and open to the public for three days.

Successful projects featured in the exhibition include conservation agriculture, food safety, empowering rural women, nursery development, apiculture productivity, soil carbon mapping, seed development, cattle production improvement, and responsible fisheries management. Countries benefitting from the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme thus far include: Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as Turkey itself.

Following the launch, a half-day technical workshop will be held with the participation of FAO country representatives, government officials and country focal points who will carry out project formulation and implementation for the Partnership Programme’s second phase.

A programmatic and regional approach will be adopted, where common goals and expected impacts are clearly established.

25 July 2017, Ankara, Turkey